Late November Nesting

I don't suppose there's any time of year when I'm not busy feathering my nest in some way.

I've been asked where I put my new homemade wreath. It is setting against the wall attached to an old wash board.

You can go here to see how I made it.

I decided to bring a book shelf into the garden room from the guest room. But the back would be showing. So I got busy and decoupaged the plywood back to sort of match my tea cart.

I've had this gorgeous lady's photo (purchased at the antique mall) for some time now. But it still mesmerizes me. The beauty and serenity in her face, perhaps.

I wonder about her life. Was she happy? Fulfilled? Did she live to be an old woman? How did she end up here, instead of in a relatives ownership?

Maybe I will seek my answers in these magic balls. Better known as the paper weights that sit on top of my button jars!

I'm linking to Air Your Laundry Friday at Freckled Laundry. And Feather Your Nest Friday, at French Country Cottage.
Have a great weekend!

Cozying Up The Recliners

I seem to recall that perhaps it was Kelli who said I'd end up with quilts on those brown recliners.

Well of course she was right. My garden room just wouldn't be "the garden room" without quilts tossed about.

With a dog in the picture...

And naturally some red...

Along with some other colors.

And some pretty white pitchers I ordered from Laurie Anna's Vintage Shop down the road in Canton.

And enough knick-knacks to make you dizzy.

And aromatic French Vanilla candles in old muffin tins.

And discarded "relatives" from the dusty shelves of the antique mall.

And cozy light casting shadows on one of my homemade quilts. Simple patchwork that most anyone could make. If they were of the mind to.

And enough magazine reading to keep yourself busy and out of trouble.

Yep, that's me. Spelled right out here for you to see.

Coffee On A Cool Fall Morning

There is no time that I enjoy my coffee more than a cool fall morning, fresh from the shower.

Starbucks ground coffee, a couple of packets of Splenda, and some Half & Half. Then I sit down at the computer and check in. Browse blogs.

I haven't been a fan of coffee my whole adult life. Just about the last five or so years, I suppose. Now it's a ritual that I enjoy.

The other day I picked up some fresh hazelnut coffee beans for my jar candle. I hadn't changed the beans out in a couple of years. It had lost its vibrant scent. Now it smells heavenly.

The Kitchen: Heart Of The Home

I thought I'd missed Shelia's Heart Of The Home party over at Note Songs. But she's assured me I can still join in with my kitchen. 

 I had this party noted on my sidebar for weeks. But things sort of got out of hand around here of late. And let's just say I've been a bit confused and forgetful. Sorry, Shelia!

It's a very small space, my kitchen is. But I'm in it much of the time nevertheless. 

It doesn't have a window. Well, it actually does. But it looks out into my garden room. Which was once an outdoor space. So I guess that counts. 

The other night I was trying to picture a kitchen in another house years ago. But it's funny how we forget the others and embrace and "love the one you're with!"

I've had a "thing" for yellow and red in kitchens since my daughters were quite young (which was many moons ago). And also red and white checks. To me, they embody the "cafe" feel. 

 The mom and pop cafes we use to go into when I was young. Simple places where the coffee was hot and the sugar jar filled and nothing was fancy. Just a good meal and some conversation with the waitress. 

So whether we're in the habit of automatically tying on an apron when we enter our kitchen, or we're accustomed to wearing high heels (I'd surely break my darned neck), or we just lean against the counter and drink our coffee, the kitchen will always be the heart of our home.

Welcome Wagon Friday 10/15/10

It's that time again. The day we welcome new bloggers. 

Up for you this week, I've found:

Boston Bee is Alyssa's blog. (Isn't that the prettiest name?) She lives in Massachusetts. She is an educator, a writer and an artist. She is also a flea market decorating flipper. She loves cottage, select primitive style, and the simple things. Her motto: Free and Frugal Forever!

All About Jane's Ranch is about awakening the country girl within. Jane is an award-winning poet, radio journalist and educator. She is fluent in Spanish. She covered politics and the arts in Mexico for public radio's bilingual program. She and her husband recently retired and moved to a fifty-acre horse ranch in Miramonte in California's Sierra Mountains.

House Of Hawthornes is Pam's blog. She lives in Ohio. She loves gardening, vintage items and furniture refinishing. She also loves a good garage sale. 

You've got quite a bit of ground to cover visiting these gals. So get the Welcome Wagon going and head out visiting when you can!

Pond Transformation

Monday my pond turned into this pondless waterfall. Low maintenance. Easy to take care of. 

Sunday I spent chiseling mortared stone and tearing the walls down. I'm not a spring chicken, so I didn't get it as far down as I'd wanted to. But FNC Ponds came in Monday and finished that part for me. And created what you see above. 

Here is what it looked like before:

A word of advice: Let a carpenter do what he does best. But don't have him build a pond. I had a wonderful guy do some phenomenal things to my house. He built my pavilion and fence. But he was out of his element with the pond. It just never had the natural look I yearned for.

So I found these guys, FNC Ponds of Tyler, to transform it. And what a job they did!

They were a bit surprised when, after lifting some of the flagstone up, they happened upon a giant frog living underneath my pond. They said it was about a foot tall. I wish they'd yelled at me to come see it. I assume now it's hiding in my yard, burrowed underneath another moist spot.

In five hours time, I had exactly what I wanted. A natural-appearing woodland area with planting space.

By the end of the following day, yesterday, it looked like this after I'd planted some things.

I love the roaring sound of the water. I eat my meals out here.

I may be missing from reading your blogs for a few more days. I'm banged up from falling twice over stuff while out there working. I've laid some of the path with the heavy flagstone left over. I may need a few days to recover in my recliner. 

Seeking Inspiration

It's quiet, dark outside. I'm sitting here trying to summon up the energy to get some projects started.

But I should know by now that when I'm tired, I'm sucked dry of the kindling of inspiration.

I've learned that I must strike while the iron is hot. Because once it's cold, there's no turning up the heat.

Yet oftentimes ideas dawn on me when it's late and I'm ready for sleep. Or sitting in traffic. Or in the midst of raking leaves.

And then when I'm done with chores, the ideas have been swept away like cobwebs with a broom. All I feel is empty at that time. Starting a project is just not in the cards.

I'm at my most exuberant when the day yawns and stretches ahead of me. And I've had a good nights sleep.

And so I shall go take my shower. Grab some magazines and flip through them before bed. Perhaps tomorrow will be the day the ideas will flow from my brain into my fingertips.

When the muse will grab hold of me and shake me with new and exciting ideas.

Unfortunately, I can see that today is just not that day.

What do you do to get the creative juices flowing?